Okinawan Frozen Beniimo Cheesecake Chinsuko wins Snack Grand Prix

The 7th Nippon Local Snack Exhibition was held in Tokyo from Nov. 17th to 19th attracting products from all over Japan. The Frozen Beniimo Cheesecake Chinsuko cookie made by Ryukyu Interactive Co. was voted for the top prize in the sweets category of the popular event.

The snack is made from Okinawan beniimo (purple sweet potato) and cheese cake, and shaped like a chinsukou, the Okinawan cookie popular with tourists as gifts. A Ryukyu Interactive official said, “Our product was valued because it is made entirely from good local ingredients.” About 130,000 people visited the exhibition during its three-day run.

This is the second time that a product from Okinawa has won the Grand Prix. In 2015, “Frozen Acerola” was awarded the same honor. The beniimo cheesecake chinsuko, that the baker describes as “feeling pleasantly cool and melting in the mouth”, has been sold since 2015. The cake is made with cream cheese, purple potatoes from Miyako Island, and brown cane sugar from Hateruma Island. The crust is made from salty chinsukou dough.

The cheesecake must be kept in a freezer, and taken out into room temperature for 5 minutes before serving to let it partially thaw.